The invention relates to an assembled flange-bearing shell having a half-shell shaped radial bearing part and an axial bearing part which can be attached on one side in the area of the axial front face of the radial bearing part, or having partial flat annular axial bearing parts which can be attached on both sides, where each axial bearing part has retaining tongues projecting inward around its radius, which can be engaged in retaining recesses in the area of one axial rim section of the radial bearing part, where at least one of the retaining recesses is configured to be open at the edge in the axial direction.
A number of generic flange-bearing shells exist in which, to prevent the axial bearing part on the radial bearing part from becoming detached, one or more of the retaining tongues projecting inward, or spreading fingers assigned to these retaining tongues, which also project inward and are provided as part of the retaining tongues or in addition to them, are bent. These are shown in DE 42 04 988 C1 or DE 43 03 855 C1. In accordance with EP 0 515 657 A1, following a combined radial mating and axial twisting process to assemble the axial bearing part to the radial bearing part, the retaining tongue provided in the vertex is bent by means of notching so that it engages the assigned retaining opening on both sides of the vertex in the radial direction from above on the inside.
Manufacturing the previously described attachment of the axial bearing part at the radial bearing part is complicated, and the dimensional accuracy of the parts suffers when the retaining tongues are bent. Manufacturability is complicated as a consequence of obtaining access, which is necessarily from inside in a radial direction, during the bending of the retaining tongues or of the spreader fingers.
An additional generic flange-bearing shell is known from DE 40 15 256 A1. In an embodiment described in this publication, notches are introduced into the axial front face of the radial bearing part on both sides of the retaining recesses after inserting the retaining tongues into the retaining recesses of the radial bearing part. As a result of this axial exertion of force on the radial bearing part, a combined displacement and bending along the periphery is achieved such that the particular retaining tongue is more or less flanged and can no longer be detached in the axial direction from the retaining recess. The combined displacement and bending requires complex machine tool construction to exert and take up the required forces. Since the material is deformed in immediate proximity to the retaining tab, clearance is not required to seat the axial bearing part on the radial bearing part.
A non-generic flange-bearing shell is known from DE 42 25 000 C1, in which the retaining recesses are closed on all sides. The axial bearing part is brought into the assembly position in the radial plane of the radial bearing part and, once more, a spreader finger section of the particular outer retaining tongue is bent in the peripheral direction.
The object of the present invention is to improve an assembled flange-bearing shell of the type described at the beginning, having axial bearing part and radial bearing part securely attached to prevent separation but still requiring clearance, in such a way that it can be manufactured more simply than known generic flange-bearing shells, without detracting from dimensional accuracy during bending procedures.
This object is achieved under the invention with a flange-bearing shell of the above-described type by having two retaining tongues on both sides of the vertex form an undercut of the radial direction passing through the vertex or mating direction on the side facing the vertex. When the flange-bearing shell is assembled, it is engaged from below by a tab on the radial bearing part axially adjacent to the specific open-edged retaining recess, which is bent from its extension in the axial direction into the retaining recess so that the axial bearing part is secured against falling out radially by this engagement from below, without itself having been deformed during assembly.
To form a retainer for the axial bearing part which is loss-proof in the radial direction, it has proved to be expedient and also completely adequate if a tab of relatively small dimensions on the radial bearing part is bent very slightly in the axial direction into the recess, to prevent the axial bearing part from falling out of the assembly position. During the assembly of the flange-bearing shell under the invention, in the case of the two retaining recesses, the aforementioned tab can simultaneously be deformed a very small amount into the retaining recess without any difficulties arising with respect to accessibility. Accessibility is far less problematic from the axial front face than bending spreader fingers along the periphery, that is, from the radial inner side of the radial bearing part.
In order to retain the axial bearing part in the axial direction and not have it become detached, an additional retaining tongue could be provided in the vertex, which, in conjunction with a retaining opening, prevents axial loosening of the axial bearing part. On the other hand, it proves to be especially advantageous if an axial undercut of the radial bearing part is axially adjacent to the open-edged retaining recesses on both sides of the vertex, on the side away from the vertex along the periphery, such that the axial bearing part is brought into its assembly position by means of twist-free mating in the radial plane with respect to the radial bearing part, and the retaining tongues are secured against axial loosening by the axial undercut of the retaining recesses. In this case, the additional retaining tongue provided in the vertex and a corresponding recess in the radial bearing part can be dispensed with.
It must be pointed out that the undercut which is formed by the two retaining tongues on both sides of the vertex on the side facing the vertex have to form an undercut of the mating direction of the axial bearing part, which generally corresponds to the radial direction passing through the vertex.
In a particularly advantageous further development of the inventive concept, the end of one retaining recess facing away from the vertex along the periphery forms a bearing surface for the respective retaining tongue, and this bearing surface transfers into the radial bearing part the force transmitted to the axial bearing part resulting from the rotation of a bearing-mounted machine part against the axial bearing part in the peripheral direction. The two retaining recesses provided on both sides of the vertex are advantageously configured in this way. It must be pointed out that the preferably small clearance of the axial bearing part to the radial bearing part in the peripheral direction is advantageously dimensioned so that, depending on the direction of rotation or orientation of the flange-bearing shell, the one or the other retaining tongue can be positioned against the appropriate bearing surface of the retaining recess away from the vertex.
It proves to be quite especially advantageous if the lateral face of the particular retaining tongue working in combination with the bearing surface of the retaining recess runs in the mating direction of the axial bearing part. It is an advantage if the aforementioned lateral face of the retaining tongue and the bearing surface run parallel to each other to make an even input of force possible. But this is not absolutely necessary.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the flange-bearing shell is configured in such a way that the particular retaining tongue engages the radial inner side of the axial rim section of the radial bearing part from above. The retaining recesses are formed towards the inside of the section, and between the undercut and the radial inner side of the axial rim sections there is at least an extremely small radial clearance. In this way, the particular tab axially adjacent to the retaining recess can engage the undercut from below, not only in the mating direction of the joint or the radial direction through the vertex, but also in the radial direction with respect to the observed retaining tongue.
It proves to be especially advantageous from a manufacturing point of perspective if oil grooves are provided on the axial bearing part, aligned with the retaining tongues and extended in the mating direction of the axial bearing part. In this case, the removal of material to create the retaining recesses and the oil grooves can be performed in one operation.
Additional details, advantages and features of the invention can be found in the attached patent claims for whose features protection is being claimed, taken individually or in combination with additional features, and from the illustrations and subsequent description of a preferred embodiment of the invention.